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Thursday, January 31, 2013

I'm the kind of shopper that usually lets price dictate what I buy. I don't pay full price (what's that) and my first stop in a store is the sale section. This is probably one reason I love thrifting so much (hello, everything is on sale). However, this approach has often led to clothing purchases that never leave the hanger in my closet; clothes that never make it onto my toned and tan soft and pasty bod, not even once.

Today I would like to share with you these thrift fails. The clothes I thought at the time had so much potential, only to bring home and realize that I actually look like an 80-year-old grandmother wearing them (and not in that grandma chic kind of way). So enjoy my thrift fails, selfie style (again), because I am home alone and I think you like it better that way anyway...

100% silk shirt, thifted for $4. I thought I could look something like this. Instead I look like a heaping pile of ketchup.

Found the sweater for $2. Maybe it can save the ketchupy shirt and I could look something like this? Nope. Say hello to Ronald McDonald.

$5 thifted sweater. I thought this could come in handy for my business casjual job I would have. I'm still waiting...

Stole Thrifted this 1992 Liz Claiborne sweater from my mom. It had so many possibilities, but it falls weird at the hips. I still think it has potential, but I'm not smart enough to figure it out. Help?

$5 thrifted silk komono shirt. I actually have worn this. I think I like it. I think I'll wear it more often...

Wednesday, January 30, 2013

Do you eat breakfast? I do. Every morning. An egg (usually fried with plenty of butter), on mashed avocado, on some sort of carb (usually unhealthy, white toast). Yum, it's making me hungry just thinking about it.

So last Friday, when A Cup of Jo posted a link for perfectly cooked, soft-boiled eggs, I was intrigued. Eggs cooked without butter? I wasn't so sure about it. The pictures made them look delicious though, so I figured I ought to try it. I made them this morning and they weren't good, they were great! Super easy to make and healthier than the stick of butter I usually use to fry my eggs. Perhaps this is the answer to the Jessica Alba beach bod I've always wanted...

Soft-Boiled Eggs: Bring a pot of water to a boil. Add your eggs. Boil for 5 minutes. Remove from the the heat and immediately add eggs to a bowl of ice water. Chill for 1-2 minutes. Peel and enjoy!

P.S. I know. Two food posts, one week? Yes. Why? Because it's winter and all I do is eat.

Tuesday, January 29, 2013

Storyline: I walk in door. Trash. I look at Zig. He is in the corner. He is nervous. He's been discovered. His tail beats the floor. His head goes down. His eyes go up. He looks so incredibly sad, guilty and cute all at the same time that I just can't take it! I laugh. He is relieved. He prances over to me. His tail wags. He licks me with his trash mouth. Zig wins again.

Ziggy, the bf's and my five-year-old, black lab is a trash eater. He hasn't always been that way. As a pup, we could leave a half-eaten sandwich on the coffee table and he wouldn't touch it. Now though, things are different. Now he is a trash lover. I want it to stop. I want him to not knock over the trash every time I exit the apartment, leaving me to pick up the smelly, rotten mess, but I don't know how to stop it. So I do the only thing I can do. I pose him in front of his crime, write a #shameful dog note and photograph it. This probably won't stop him from getting into the trash in the future, but damn, it makes me feel better.

Monday, January 28, 2013

In the same week, I watched both Giada on the Food Network and M Loves M make delicious versions of almost the same quinoa salads. It was like the universe was telling me that my bod needed quinoa, so I made it. I combined Giada's herbed version and M Loves M's Mediterranean version and the results we de-li-cious. Anddd, I'm pretty sure I could feel my muscles growing, cholesterol dropping and calories burning while I was eating it. Oh the superfood power of quinoa.

Herbed Mediterranean Quinoa Salad

makes 4 servings

INGREDIENTS:

Salad

1 1/2 cup quinoa

2 1/2 cup chicken broth

1/4 cup lemon juice

2 tomatoes

1 english cucumber

1/4 red onion, chopped

3 olives, chopped

1/2 cup feta cheese

Dressing

1/2 cup olive oil

2/3 cup fresh, chopped parsley

1/2 cup fresh, chopped basil

2 tbs fresh, chopped thyme

1 shallot, minced

1 clove garlic, minced

1/4 cup lemon juice

Zest of 1 lemon

DIRECTIONS:

In a saucepan, bring the chicken broth, lemon juice and quinoa to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 15-20 minutes. Remove from heat and let rest for 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork. Transfer to a bowl.

In a small bowl, whisk all dressing ingredients together. Add to the quinoa and toss to coat. Add tomatoes, cucumber, onion, olives and feta. Toss again. Serve and enjoy!

Friday, January 25, 2013

Happy Friday! Do you have any special plans for the weekend? I have friends coming into town and am excited to eat, drink and be merry with them all weekend long. I hope you have a sweet weekend too and enjoy these links from the web this week!

Thursday, January 24, 2013

So you have noticed. Outfit posts have been scarce these days. I'm sorry. My pasty white skin, lack of a proper camera and embarrassment of asking the roomie take my picture have all contributed to this. Today you will get your outfit post though, selfie style, because Danielle has already left for work and I have thrifted nothing but clothes for the last two months.

The top is J. Crew a la stripes. Bought it for $2 at the FIRC (while it's still in stores for $30). Score. The skirt is a wool number from zee Gap that I thrifted from For Pet's Sake for 4 dolla. It made me holla. The gorgeous, pea-green perfection of a coat is J. Crew. Found it at the Funky Trunk Boutique last winter and practically stole it for a measly $15. The boots are 1996 Payless brand that I thrifted stole from my mom (thanks mommy!). And finally, the glasses. Picked them up from Claire's for $2. Did you know I wear glasses? I don't. Gotcha. But they come in super handy when you feel like hiding your face, which is lucky for you this a.m., because trust me, you don't want to see what's under there today...

Wednesday, January 23, 2013

As I mentioned a while back, the roomie and I threw a classy New Year's Eve party at the Bank. The party went flawlessly and I believe it was all the little touches that brought it together. In particular, Danielle and I made sparkly champagne flutes, inspired by this Free People DIY, that added that extra, classy element. Our version of the DIY was a little different because we bought plastic champagne flutes to glitter up, rather than glass. Although I think I prefer the way the glitter turned out on Free People's flutes, ours were still cute and the clean-up was wayyyyyyy easier, which is always something I prefer. Check it.

To begin, you will need: Champagne flutes (glass or plastic- we bought our plastic ones at Target and spent $10 for 32), Elmer's Glue and Glitter.

Next, using your finger, rub the Elmer's glue on the champagne flute where you want the glitter to be. I just wanted my glitter on the bottom half, so I only put glue there. (I didn't take a picture of this step, sorry, you'll just have to imagine it). Then, pour the glitter over the glue. Do this over a plate so you can save the excess glitter. Shake it off, let dry and voila...a sparkly champagne flute!

(Note: I also sprayed Modge-Podge over the glasses to keep the glitter on, but I found this step a) unnecessary because some glitter fell off anyway and b) bad because it added a film to the glasses that made them look dirty. I stopped Modge-Podging midway through and those glasses turned out better.)

Tuesday, January 22, 2013

Last week was cold. High of 2 degrees cold. So I had to do something to warm me up, to keep me from withering away during these bitter, winter months. So I made a tart. A maple pecan tart. And I think it's worked. As Danielle calls it, my tummy sweater has been keeping me toasty now for the last month. Sorry I'm not sorry.

I found the recipe here and boy, oh boy is it good. Maple syrup replaces the gross and processed corn syrup in this recipe, giving it a lighter and crisper taste. Me likey. I also used my food processor for the first time (thanks for the awesome xmas present Gma!) to make the crust and the results were okay. It was easier to make the crust in the food processor (you just dump all the ingredients in and pulse), but I don't think the crust turned out as well as just doing it by hand (the butter became too incorporated with the food processor method; it's flakier when done by hand). And finally, although the original recipe was for a pie, the bf has no pie dish, so tart it became. The tart was good because it made the dessert stretch a little farther than a pie would have, meaning more slices for me. Pecan pie tart is quickly becoming a favorite dessert of mine. It is easy and quick to make, has less than ten ingredients and comes out perfectly every time. Try it, it's good, and so are tummy sweaters.

Put water in a bowl with a couple of ice cubes. Set aside. Pulse flour, sugar and salt in food processor. Add the butter. Pulse until the butter is the size of peas. Add water, 1 tablespoon at a time until the dough begins to lump together. Remove the dough from the food processor and knead together gently with your hands until the dough becomes one lump. Wrap in plastic wrap and form into a disk. Chill in the fridge for at least one hour.

After an hour, remove the dough from the fridge and roll out on a floured surface. Put into a tart (or pie) dish. Chill in the fridge. Preheat the oven to 350 and place rack at the lowest position.

In a large bowl, beat the eggs. Add the syrup, brown sugar, melted butter and vanilla. Mix well. Add the chopped pecans. Remove the tart shell from the fridge and pour in the pecan mixture. Bake for 30-35 minutes. Allow to cool for at least 20 minutes and enjoy!

Monday, January 21, 2013

Living in a ski town, I am spoiled by my surroundings. If the weather conditions aren't exactly to my liking, I often turn my nose at the outdoors. No snow? No ski for me. No sun? Nothing sounds fun. However, even on the coldest days, in the crappiest conditions, I ALWAYS feel better when I'm being active. Thus, I've made a vow to do something outside every day for the rest of the winter. Whether I ski, hike or just walk the dog to the park, I will get myself outside.

This brings me to the glorious hike the bf and I went on last week. We laced up our snow boots and hiked on one of the packed trails behind Wes's house; no snowshoes or skins required. The weather was gorgeous, the views spectacular and oh how much fun the dog had. We hiked from Barney Ford trail to Sally Barber trail and into French Gulch and I highly recommend it (especially if you don't have the gear to cross-country ski or skin). It took us about an hour-and-a-half, roundtrip and was worth every second.

Friday, January 18, 2013

Cheers to the weekend! I'll be spending most of my time off on my new K2 MissConduct skis! Woop woop. I'm excited. Sunday, the bf and I are preparing a Patriots playoff game feast in the Crock-Pot because you know how much I love Crock-Pots. I want to make this recipe, but Wes wants to make this recipe. Which will we choose? You'll have to wait and see :-) Monday is a work day for me (tear, I know), but I hope you all have a splendid three days off and here are some links to start your weekend right!

Thursday, January 17, 2013

n. Thrifting: the act of shopping at a thrift store, flea market, garage sale, or a shop of a charitable organization, usually with the intent on finding interesting items at a low price.

Soooo, Craigslist wasn't mentioned on that super credible, Wikipedia definition of thrifting; however, I still think my excellent Craigslist purchase must be shared. I got new (used) skis! I've mentioned before here and here that I am making the transition from snowboard chick to ski bunny. Now the transition is complete!

Early Monday morning, the bf and I drove down to Denver to pick up my new pair of 2009 K2 MissConduct, Twin Tip, 159 Skis with Salomon bindings that Wes had found on Craigslist the day before. Although they are a couple of years old, they have less than 30 days on them and aren't even broken in. They retail new with bindings for almost $600! But, you know me. I shall not pay retail. I shall find the deal. And I Wes did. I ended up paying only $175 total for the skis and bindings! What a steal.

I tested my new babies out Tuesday and Wednesday and I'm in love. Although I'm no Lindsey Vonn, I'm fairly certain I look neat-o skiing down the hill. The snowflake graphics on the top are excellent. The twin tips make me look cool. The softness of the skis make them easy to ride. Love.

Wednesday, January 16, 2013

DIYs are fun. They are uniqie. They are creative. They get you compliments on your craftiness! However, they often take fo-re-ver to complete. Sometimes I start a DIY and never even finish it. For example, the half painted, empty frame that's been sitting in my room since August, whispering ever so gently every time I walk in there to "finish me Ashley, complete me...." It's creepy, I know.

Today's DIY is different though. Today we shall make a necklace; a two-material, industrial necklace that's sure to get you sexyliicous compliments with every wear. There is no glueing, painting or drying required. There is assembly only. Quick and easy assembly.

To start, you must first gather your materials. You'll need a necklace chain. Preferably find one with no charms, but if you can't, that's fine. As long as the charm is small (like the one on the chain I used), it will get covered up in step two.

Next, gather some copper pipe fittings. I used three for my necklace, but you could use however many your heart desires. I found them at my local hardware store for 30 cents each. Such a steal.

Then, string the necklace chain through the copper piping. It's easy, you can do it!

Finally you are done. Phew. That was hard. Now go reward all that hard work with a well deserved cocktail. Make sure to wear your new necklace while drinking said cocktail. Let the fruits of your labor be known.

Tuesday, January 15, 2013

This blog is a positive place. It is a place where I can express my deep love for so many things in life, like the Bass Outlet and audiobooks. Today I would like to discuss another love. A tride and true love for...the Crock-Pot. I love Crock-Pots. They are awesome. They are easy to use. They make cooking large quantities of food quick an easy. They ensure tender and moist (eww, worst word ever!) food every single time.

So last month, when Fanci Mandi and her bf came up to Breckenhood for a weekend visit, I knew the Crock-Pot would come in handy for feeding my guests. I had found a slow-cooker recipe for Balsamic Roast Reef on Pinterest the week before and I took this opportunity to try it. The recipe was so easy, with less than ten ingredients all just thrown into the Crock-Pot. After 6ish hours of slow simmering, the roast came out tender, moist (ahh) and oh so delicious.

Place the roast beef your slow-cooker or Crock-Pot. In a large bowl, mix the remaining ingredients with a whisk. Pour the liquid mixture over the roast in the Crock-Pot. Cook the roast for 6-8 hours on low (what I did and it came out delicious!) or 4 hours on high.

Once the beef is cooked, remove it from the Crock-Pot and put into a serving dish. Pull/shred the beef apart with forks. Using a slotted spoon, remove as much fat as possible from the remaining sauce in the Crock-Pot. Once most of the fat is gone, pour the sauce into a saucepan over medium heat. Simmer until the sauce reduces by half. Pour the sauce over the shredded beef. Serve and enjoy!

Monday, January 14, 2013

Christmas of 2011 (yes, two Christmases ago) my wonderful mother gave me the cutest pair of Sorel boots ever, per my request. Unfortunately, I told her to get the wrong size (although Sorel runs big, don't size down, they will be too small). So I called Sorel to exchange them and unfortunately (again) they were out of my size...blast! So they sent me a gift card for the cost of the boots, $150. Over a year later, I am still sitting on this gift card. Truthfully, I'm still not in love with any of Sorel's current options, but I must use the card up this season or it's value will decrease.

Optimally, I want a pair of tall, brown, waterproof, leather boots. If my gift card was for anywhere I would pick these amazing and practical Clarks. However, my gift card is to Sorel, so I must choose from them.

Below are the three boots I am considering. The first pair is probably my favorite of the three, but I'm pretty split between all of them, they all have positives and negatives. So I need YOUR help! If there's ever been a post I need your opinion and input on, it's this one! I can't do this on my own. It's life or death by Sorel. Help me decide!

I like the Wicked Tall Workboots because they are tall and look nicer than typical, rubber snowboots. I also like the leather, but I'm undecided on how much I like the patchwork look of them.

I like the Slimpack Riding Boots because I like the "riding boot" look of them; however, I extremely dislike the rubber, duck toe on them. I'm also unsure about the difference in color between the toe and calf and the difference in material (rubber and leather).

I know the Chipahko Blanket Boots don't fit really match anything on my "wanted" list, but there is something about them that I like. They remind me of my beloved Uggs that I had to throw out last year. I like that they look comfy and casual, but I don't like that they are not waterproof.

Friday, January 11, 2013

Happy weekend! What are you up to? Tomorrow I'm planning on doing a little spring winter cleaning. My room is a disaster, per usual. (I need little elves that follow me around and pick up all the clothes I throw onto the floor when I'm playing dress) Sunday, the bf is having friends over to his house to watch the Patriot's game. I'm planning on making and eating this, this and this. I hope your weekend is great too! Enjoy these fun links from the web this week. xx

Thursday, January 10, 2013

Wine is wonderful. So it's only fitting that such a wonderful beverage is served in a wonderful glass. To me, the glassware often makes the drink. Beer in a pint glass=okay. Wine in a pint glass=bad. Wine glasses are classic, sleek and sexy (which is how I am also, often described). Drinking wine in a wine glass instantly sets a classier, more sophisticated mood and that is something I love.

So, when I was browsing For Pet's Sake (obviously) a couple of months ago and found the most unique, copper wine glasses ever, I knew they had to be mine. My Grandma Patty had a similar set that I always pined over was I was younger, and these were their sisters, sitting in a pair, at my local thrift store! Fate.

So I bought them. $1 each. And oh how I've used them. Probably 100 times. That's like one penny per use. I am so economical.

Wednesday, January 9, 2013

An apple a day, keeps the doctor away. Thus, apples are healthy. Thus, apple pie is healthy. Thus, I will eat apple pie everyday and be a model of perfect health? Yes.

This apple pie recipe is adopted from the Smitten Kitchen and is awesomely easy and delicious. The buttery and flakey crust is in my opinion what sets it apart from other apple pie recipes. No shortening allowed, butter only baby. Plus, no food processor? No problem. This crust comes out perfectly every time and all you need to make it is a fork and clean hands.

So take a walk with me, down the buttery, apple-y road of my homemade apple pie.

Pie Dough (makes enough dough for one double-crust or two single-crust pies)

2 sticks, very cold butter, diced

2 1/2 cups flour

1 tbsp sugar

1 tsp salt

1 cup ice-cold water

Filling

4 Granny Smith apples

2 Fuji apples

3/4 cups plus 1 tbsp sugar

2 tbsp flour

1/4 tsp salt

1 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp nutmeg

1/4 tsp allspice

1 egg white, beaten lightly

TO MAKE DOUGH:

Fill a small bowl with 1 cup of water and drop in several ice-cubes; set aside. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together flour, sugar and salt. Sprinkle the diced butter cubes over the flour mixture.

Using a pastry cutter (or a fork if you are like me and don't have one), begin working the butter into the flour. Make sure to redistribute the mixture so the butter is worked in evenly. Once all the butter pieces are about the size of peas, stop mixing.

Drizzle 1/2 cup of the ice cold water (but not the cubes) over the butter-flour mixture. Using a spatula, gather the dough together. Continue adding the water 1 tbsp at a time until you are pulling large clumps with the spatula. Once the dough begins to clumps together, get in there with your hands and knead it gently together into one mound.

Divide the dough in half and place each half into a piece of plastic wrap. Form each piece of dough into a disk and chill in the fridge for at least one hour (the longer, the better).

TO MAKE FILLING:

Peel, core and cut the apples in half. Slice the halves into quarter-inch pieces. In a large bowl, mix 3/4 cup of sugar, flour, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg and allspice. Add the apples to the bowl and toss to coat; set aside.

TO ASSEMBLE:

Adjust oven rack to the lowest position. Preheat the oven to 500 degrees with a baking sheet in the oven.

Remove the dough from the fridge and roll out on a floured surface. Gently put one crust onto the bottom of a pie dish. Leave the dough that overhangs the pie dish. Chill in the fridge for 5 minutes

Add apples mixture including juices to the pie shell and mound in the center.

Roll out the second pie shell and place on top of the filling. Trim the edges to fit the pie dish. Roll the bottom pie shell over the top pie shell and pinch with your fingers to seal together. **Optional: at this point, you can take the extra pie dough, roll it out, make shapes with it and add it to the top crust. I like to do this because it makes the pie prettier** Cut 5 slits on top dough. Brush egg white wash onto the top crust and sprinkle the remaining 1 tablespoon of sugar.

Place the pie on the baking sheet and lower the temperature to 425 degrees. Bake for about 25 minutes until the top is golden. Rotate pie and reduce the temperature to 375 degrees. Bake for an additional 30-35 minutes until the juices are bubbling and the crust is a deep, golden brown.

Tuesday, January 8, 2013

Living in a snowy, mountain town, I am no stranger to the beanie (we've already discussed how to wear beanies the cool way). I wear one almost daily, but to me it's more of a necessity than fashion statement. My beanies are typically very colorful and are never coordinated with my outfit. They are just there, on the top of my head, with no rhyme or reason except to keep my head warm. Most of the time I just look like one, big, colorful mess.

This must change. All over the interweb, hot chicks everywhere are sporting chic, grey beanies. They look cute as an outerwear statement or sans coat as an outfit accessory. I must join in. I shall be a hot, grey beanie chick too. As of now, this, this and this are all in the running to dawn my tete. I shall outfit post as soon as the decision has been made. In the meantime though, check out my grey beanie inspiration. All babes, all grey, all the time.